Page 3 of 80% Beef 20% Cake (Alien Fated Mates #2)
3
E arly the following rotation, Mayor Yurst motioned for me to sit on one of the many lounge chairs circling his massive pool.
“Come sit.” He stood with his hands planted on his hips, his pose mimicking the stupid statue of himself in the center of his courtyard. The solarium’s dome served as a personal amphitheater. When the wispy tips of his tawny ears flickered, he came across as clever and distinguished, but I’d learned otherwise.
My knees were nearly at my ears as I crouched in his strange, low chair, but I wouldn’t waste my audience with him because of discomfort. “I implore you to reach out to Yagras. It’s imperative that we obtain the bloodroot fungus. It’s the only defense against the hellsna.”
“Slow down, JayJay. Have a drink.” Yurst gestured to a half-empty container of orzfoam, the fermented graneth grass drink sold at the local cantina. He sauntered to the bed-like chair and reclined with his hands behind his head.
I waved off the offer—it was much too early to drink—and stared into the pool’s still waters, searching for guidance. Were we here for the same reasons? Why was he dressed for the beach in the middle of the cold season when we were meeting to discuss Yurstille’s welfare? “Has Bonic spoken with you?”
At Makir’s brother’s name, the mayor sat at attention. “Yes, now that you mention it, he may have said something. Now, what was it again?” His upright ears flickered outward and back in again, like searching triangles.
My head throbbed. I should’ve taken him up on the drink. The entitled mayor had only agreed to speak with me, an authority on hellsna, because of Bonic. As the high commander of the elite protectors on Lorne, Bonic came from a royal line with a lot of sway.
Not long ago, I’d been a male who commanded respect without calling on friends in high places. An image came to mind of my crisp white uniform emblazoned with a hellsna on the right breast. Now, I built dwellings. I glared at the torn fabric exposing one of my knees to the opulent fountains and fruiting trees filling the mayor’s courtyard.
“Oh, I’ve got it.” Mayor Yurst bounced a little in his seat. “Something about a little tussle you had when Bonic visited his brother with his wife.”
Tussle? My head snapped toward the mayor’s greedy eyes. They were glued to a projection on the pink earthen wall where he scrolled for…statues?
It seemed like it had only been last rotation that I’d been trapped in that cave with Bonic’s pregnant mate, Ginger and Makir. My biceps throbbed and sweat beaded my forehead just thinking of the effort it had taken to push the giant boulder free. And that hadn’t even been a hellsna attack, just tremors from the giant blanting beast rising from below ground. Yet Yurst looked as if he’d put more thought into his swim trunk choice this morning than the genuine threat to Yurstille.
Mayor Yurst’s whiskers glistened with foam as he took another drink. “Hmmm… What’s Bonic’s brother’s name again?”
“Makir. He owns the hovery,” I groaned. Was this male the only one who’d stuck his hand up on election rotation?
I massaged the cramp in my leg. How could I drive home the threat to Yurst? “The only way to rid Tern of the monster is by administering the poisonous fungus.” If I could reach out to the new lead protector of the Yagras guard myself, everything would be different. But, even an annum later, my banishment—despite no longer existing in the eyes of my friends—felt like someone taking a chisel to my skull.
The mayor continued scrolling through images of statues on the wall in front of us, pausing on a jewel-encrusted gold model. “That’s a pretty one.” His eyes shone.
My usually steady voice wavered as my patience waned. “This will be a significant problem if not dealt with.” Trying to devise a plan to manage the hellsna with Mayor Yurst would unravel anyone’s patience. “Lives will be lost, damage to property and lands guaranteed.”
Yurst’s split-lip mouth lifted in a wide grin. “Nonsense. I have full confidence that Sisip and her enforcers can handle the nuisance.” Though a Tig like Sisip, sharing a species was the only thing the mayor had in common with the capable lead enforcer.
At least the humid air from the geothermally heated waters warmed the space and soothed my lungs. With a deep breath, I tried again. “It’s decimated the mantu that roam the plateaus beyond the rocky outcrop.” Yurst didn’t even flinch. “They’ve destroyed entire villages in one night on my home planet. As mayor, you will be held responsible.”
The mayor’s heart-filled eyes paused on an image, and he sighed.
Thud, thud, thud—a migraine built behind my eyes. “You must contact Yagras and arrange for them to send the darts.”
Most of my adult life had been spent defending the people of Yagras from the hellsna. I shuddered, rubbing my hand over an old scar on my rib cage, wishing I didn’t know how many rows of shredding teeth spiraled down the nocturnal creature’s throat.
Yurst gestured to the projection. “Do you think this would fit in the space over there?” Then he pointed to an empty corner.
Though I’d trained my soldiers in stealth and silence, remaining levelheaded under Yurst’s careless leadership was straining every nerve. On a deep inhale, I tapped into my resolve, remembering my soldiers, whose lives had been taken from them. DarDar. My stomach plummeted. His savaged body had taken its toll on my heart. The sonorous honor chant returning him to the protection of our ancestors still rang in my ears. If anyone deserved a statue, DarDar did, but that was not the Rock Dweller way.
“I recommend you take action immediately, as the beast will stir again when spring arrives.”
Yurst strolled to the pool and circled a black-clawed toe in the water. “Plenty of time then.”
Thud, thud, thud. I gripped my aching temples, but it brought little relief. The mayor’s boastful statue risked dismemberment if I stayed any longer. As I stood, the lounger skidded over the floor.
Yurst tsked as he hurried over to straighten my chair.
My wristport pinged with an incoming com.
Ginger: Hey, King Kong. As demanded…oops, requested…just letting you know I’m leaving for the rocky outcrop in half an hour.
Blanting great! I twisted my taut neck from side to side, trying to alleviate my headache. Another problem to deal with. Did she even know how to get there or how to trap linobee? She better have warmer clothes on this rotation.
“She’s not going anywhere without me,” I grunted at my wristport.
“Yes, Tern’s a lovely place to be.” Mayor Yurst tipped his empty container of orzfoam to his lips.
This is a lost cause. “I have somewhere else I need to be. Please excuse me.” Only I wouldn’t let him off that easy. I had one more lucky card in my hand to deal. “I’ll be sure to pass along the details of our conversation to Bonic and give him your regards.”
The mayor’s face turned from tawny to a sickly yellow. His drink container rocked back and forth on the side table where he’d released it too quickly. “Well, if the Lornian royal family were to aid us”—he cleared his throat—“financially, that is, in this endeavor… perhaps we’d make some headway. After all, who would pay such an outrageous fee for a tiny red mushroom?”
Arm held high, he flapped his hand like a broken wing. “Bye, JayJay. I’m sure we’ll come to a solution.” His eyes flashed back to the gem-encrusted eyes of the statue projected on his wall.
With half a sun’s warning, I had no time to prepare. Stopping by the sono I lived in with the rest of the Rock Dweller crew, I rushed over the pink dirt floors, through the shared living quarters, then grabbed the emergency duffel bag from under my bunk. Soon after, I flew down the main street. In the distance, mid-sun glinted off the greendwelling’s lamar windows where a couple of enforcers grew plants—a lucrative side hustle. I whisked past D’ovey’s bakery, inhaling the fresh scent of baked graneth bread. A few voices drifted from the cantina across the street, though moontime was far away.
Ginger stepped outside, eyes wide, when I parked in front of the open bay door to Makir’s hovery. Her breath ghosted in the cold air while she tugged a white-furred linobee hat over her beautiful hair.
My mind tumbled back to the last time I’d seen her. A swirl of white had spread out behind her while she sped through the dangerous hoverbike course like a seasoned race crew member. Confused by the deep thrum of approval rising from low in my belly, I’d called her reckless. And for good reason. She didn’t seem to care for her well-being whatsoever.
I liked the way the skin around her nose scrunched as she said, “Oh…I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
Of course I had. She’d get lost otherwise.
“Do you know where the rocky outcrop is?” My thick thumb rubbed over the frayed edges of my pants, and I focused on the neat rows of hoverbike parts that lined the walls of Makir’s hovery.
The shadows under Ginger’s eyes stood out in sharp relief under the mid-sun. Is she getting enough sleep? She sucked in a breath as if fighting for calm and tried to speak.
I interrupted. “How much sleep do humans need?”
She put her hands on her hips. “You think I’d just wander around, sleep-deprived, on an unfamiliar planet and hope for the best? Geesh.” She slipped a bag of gear over the saddle of Makir’s hoverbike. “Not that I owe you an explanation, but Sisip programmed the route on my wristport, and I took a picture in case there’s no coverage.”
I nodded, impressed by her taking the initiative to get aid from the lead enforcer. “Do you—”
“Stop right there.” The heel of her palm jutted out to halt me in my tracks. “You can come because I know you feel obligated to watch out for me.” She raised her eyebrows as if daring me to object. “The invitation doesn’t extend to inquisition-style questioning, nor does it allow you control over my actions.” She muttered, “Why did Geo sick this guy on me?”
Because Geo knows just how stubborn you are. “Fine,” I grumbled.
“Let’s go then.” She jammed her helmet over the fur hat and jumped on the hoverbike with no further preamble.
At least Makir’s spare helmet fit better, with her puffy hat beneath it. Off she flew, me on her heels. Her head dipped now and then so she could reference the map on her wristport. Her shoulders were loose, and she looked as comfortable as someone who’d ridden her whole life. Once again, I nodded, impressed by her navigation skills but worried about her safety. The right sized helmet shouldn’t fit over a thick-furred hat.
When I sped up to take the lead, she raced forward and passed me. When I regained the lead, she increased her speed, showering me in a spray of ice as she took point. I smiled, and for a minute, I was transported back to drills with my soldiers and the camaraderie among the elite guards. But my sensible side returned when the speed gauge dipped into the yellow.
Geo would kill me if his best friend got pitched off a hoverbike and broke her neck, so I reluctantly slowed, letting her maintain the lead. My way, east of the wastelands, would’ve shaved off some time, but I was positive she wouldn’t want to be told that, and her route worked—I acknowledged with a begrudging grunt.
Just as tempting as when we were face-to-face, her movements from behind proved equally interesting. Even under a bulky coat, the shift of fabric over her curvy hips drew my gaze and her silvery hair fluttered around her, sparkly as the blue snow. She was so different from smooth-skinned female Rock Dwellers, who tended toward narrow hips. Though her imperious personality matched what I’d been told about females, I liked the bite of her claws.
I scanned the landscape below, searching for signs of hellsna—a habit from my past life. Icicles hung from the concrete mesh, bent rebar and sheets of lamar poking out from under the snow on the wastelands. Brittle vines held in winter’s death grip wove through the wreckage.
Ginger’s voice, surprisingly pleasant for once, came through my helmet speaker. “Why does everything look so dead here?”
I tilted my lips to the mic. “There was a plague, and the Fires That Cleanse were deployed.”
“And that killed…everything?” Her voice softened.
“In theory, the Fires That Cleanse eliminate everything organic.” I paused for a moment. What had happened to the prior residents of Tern had been tragic. “But nearly an annum into recolonization, that proves untrue. Plants and animals once documented to exist on Tern before the Cleanse keep cropping up. Only they’re strangely mutated.”
“So everyone that used to live here is gone. That’s incredibly sad.”
I hummed in agreement. Moments later, the rocky outcrop lay before us. Its jagged ebony peaks poked out among the clouds of blue, softening the rough edges and befitting the somber mood. The hoverbike’s downdraft hollowed the snow below us as we slowed and stopped on the exposed pink soil.
Similar ebony stones formed Yagras’ ancestral temples, and Rock Dwellers worshipped at their mineral pools. As I inhaled the sulfur-laden air, a rumba vibrated low in my chest. Despite the need to honor my ancestors with the Rock Dweller’s traditional song, I forced back my call. It might alert the hellsna to our presence, and Ginger already thought I was too loud.
When I glanced down, Ginger already had a row of snares lined up in front of her.
“Put your gloves back on. I’ll do that,” I said.
She gasped before toppling backward from her crouched position, landing butt first, then leveled me with a glare that could melt the snow from under her. “Jesus, King Kong.” She stood and smacked the snow off her bum. “Why don’t you talk a little louder?”
I was pretty sure she meant that sarcastically, but I kept my ‘that’s my normal voice’ comment to myself. I had no idea how to act around her. My instincts kept crossing wires.
Ignoring me, she carried on making snares, her nimble fingers trembling in the cold. I made a mental note to ask Geo more about this gorilla creature, because I doubted it meant anything good. King had a certain ring to it, though.
As I moved closer, the scent of linnea filled my nose. I lurched back on my heels, tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and swallowed awkwardly. Linnea, the most beautiful tree from home, intoxicated Rock Dwellers. Its purple leaves emitted a sultry perfume for one complete lunar span every annum. Rock Dwellers roamed like drunken lovers for the duration, all sappy smiles.
I picked up a coil of wire, only to have it snatched out of my hand.
“I’ve got this.” Ginger scowled. “Why don’t you go over there and brood a little?” The boulder she gestured to was so far away that she wouldn’t be able to see me.
Nope, not moving . In fact, her fragrance enticed me so much that I was content to stay within arm’s length for the rest of my life, no matter how much she snarled.
I don’t brood. I’m a stoic soldier.
Crouching beside her, I waved at the many snares lined up. Speak quietly. “I think you have enough.” Maybe if I didn’t command her, she’d heed my words.
Her ebony bangs blew up from her shadowed eyes when she huffed, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
I straightened, and warmth spread through my chest.
She shoved a handful of snares at me. “You want to take half? I’ll take the other half and we can meet back here in an hour?”
No. I gathered the snares she passed me. Her fingers tangled over my thumb when she reached for one that slipped. A thrill buzzed through my hand and down my arm. What was that? I didn’t want to leave her side, but I’d follow her plan to keep our tentative peace.
“Yes, I’ll see you at the hovery in one sun.” I’d remain in sight the entire time. With her poor vision, she wouldn’t be able to tell.
She jerked before rolling her brown, green and gold eyes. “Shh…remember? Use your inside voice.” Her lips kept moving, but all I heard was a hiss as she spun on her heels and bolted up the jagged rocks, placing snares.
“Do that with your mittens on.” I didn’t rein in my voice that time. With her back to me, she shook her head and slipped them on. Happy she listened, my rumba vibrated in my chest. I would take her wrath over her tiny fingers getting cold.
I shadowed Ginger’s every move, just far enough away to avoid her glare. Bossman Geo tripped over everything when the sun set. Would Ginger’s vision be as bad?
Lithe like a jungle cat, she twined through the rough terrain, tucking snares into cracks and crevices webbed in ice, all the while snapping pictures on her wristport while I trailed, fascinated. Only when she picked her way back did I throw down my half of the snares and march back through the thick snow to the hoverbikes.
After removing a drinking container from the saddlebag, she took careful sips. The hot liquid inside sent steam curling into the air around her. Her eyes narrowed—steady on me. Thank the goddess Sola, her lips would be warm soon. They’d turned a shade of blue that didn’t belong on an Earthling in my limited experience. But her staring unnerved me.
How could the lead protector of the guard be so unsettled by such a little thing? But I maintained eye contact despite wanting to drop my gaze to the snow. “What color are your eyes?”
The tip of her tongue caught the hot liquid beaded on her lips. “Uh, hazel.” Her brows dropped quizzically. “Pretty standard color.”
Standard! Nothing about her eyes was standard.
“I disagree. The gold’s like the jungle cats’ eyes from home. The green matches my favorite swimming hole. The brown shimmers like the fine whiskey Yagras exports. All are rare.” I tried to keep my voice mellow.
She circled her boot in the snow and sucked on her bottom lip, turning it glassy. “Oh.”
My blood heated. I wanted to suck that lip. I found my fingers twisting in the frayed edges of my pants. What was happening to me? I was a soldier escorting a civilian through a dangerous area, and all I could think of was her soft lips. My mentor would’ve flayed me for such shameful behavior.
“I could fix that for you,” she offered.
My mind skidded to a stop.
Huh?
She could fix…what? That I’d never kissed a female before?
I must’ve worn a confused expression because she added, “The holes in your pants. I could fix them.”
A female offering to take care of a Rock Dweller was a big deal, and my mouth turned dry. I didn’t know how to read her at all. Of course she hadn’t meant to kiss me. Why would she want to kiss a giant, overloud, gray Rock Dweller, who stood colorless next to her nearly translucent skin, silver-white hair and ebony bangs? My plain green eyes couldn’t captivate like her hazel ones. What other colors did she have hidden under her clothes? I gulped.
When I nodded, she smiled. A strange sensation shot through my gut like a laser blast. Her softly tilted lips were often aimed at others, but never at me, and it nearly brought me to my knees.
“You want some?” She held out her hot drink container toward me. “To warm up?”
“I’m not cold.” Just the opposite. Trying to pull off a normal conversation with Ginger made me sweat, especially when I couldn’t take my eyes off her wet mouth.
“S’okay. Maybe you just want to try it.” She shot her lethal smile at me again. “It’s peppermint. My favorite.”
I nodded again, and she handed me the container. A wisp of fragrant steam escaped through the lid. My lips touched the same spot her lips had just left—as close to a kiss as I would get. I savored it. Graneth-honey sweet, sharp and vibrant. It tasted like her. Any more temptation would push me over the edge. Her pupils dilated when I passed the container back, careful not to brush her fingers.
“Yummy, right?” She pulled her hat tighter around her ears, and her gaze darted away from mine.
Yummy didn’t come close to describing it. I licked my lower lip, not trusting my volume. Why did her eyes grow darker and look away?
“Well”—she glanced at her wristport to check the time—“that’s long enough, I think. Let’s go check?”
Less than a sun later, three linobee swung from her saddle. Only one belonged to me. Compared to what Makir normally caught, it was nothing, but Ginger glowed, beyond happy with her haul.
She chattered away while packing her gear. “I really only need one to make sure YimYim gets a pair of replacement mittens. Did you know we have a creature on Earth just like this, a beaver, only they’re brown? But this should be enough to catch up on all my orders. Then you won’t need to come with me anymore because Makir will be back.”
I threw my leg over my seat, surprised by the heavy disappointment at not being the one to hunt with her anymore. This chatty version of Ginger proved as enticing as the one with claws.
“Ready?” she asked cheerily.
I nodded once again. She was much happier when I didn’t talk.
“Alrighty, let’s hit it.” Her hovee burst to life, spraying snow in its wake. She bolted forward, and I struggled to keep up. Unfortunately, it was becoming a familiar pattern.
I silently helped her clean the furs once we reached Geo’s. Geo’s dogs bounced around us, and she spoke about her designs as we worked. The time passed by without notice, and all too soon, the linobee preparation was finished. Despite how much she confused me, I liked sharing her company, but with the hides cleaned, I no longer had an excuse to stay.
“I’m going to head back to the sono. I need to plan the work schedule for the week,” I lied. Why was I trying to look important and busy? The truth was, her linnea scent had worked its way under my skin, but not as much as her work ethic, and I had no idea what to do with the tension riding my shoulders.
“Say hi to everyone for me,” she replied brightly. But the shadows under her eyes were deeper, and her exuberance rang false. “Oh and, JayJay, bring your pants by anytime. I’ll patch them.”
Tipping my head, I waved goodbye, but inside, I hummed happily over the excuse to return.